Bed wetting older child

Exactly the same as my son (same age too). It’s not very frequent, but frequent enough to be annoying. I’m hoping he just grows out of it. He does it more often if he drinks juice or squash, so he only has water now. No solutions, just solidarity!

If it were my child I'd want to speak to my GP about it.

My daughters are both 9 and 11 bedwet frequently. Both have grown up wetting the bed most weeks. I have been to the GP there’s nothing they can really do for it it’s as you say drug for some weeks and wet some other weeks it’s so hit or miss. My sons have no issue at all.

She will get there. My DD bed wet occassionally till she was that age. DH bed wet till he was 14! So there must be a genetic element related to it.

Anyway, they are both fine now of course. If it's only occassional I would try not to worry too much about it. We found there were certain times it was much more likely to happen - typically if DD had been late and had lots of drinks/ sweets/ food in the afternoon or evening (e.g. if we had been to a BBQ). Clearly the mix of being very tired and the sugar/ drinks impacted it. We found on those nights it would help if we woke her up around 11 to take her to the loo.

Waking up to go to the toilet is a good sign, shows she has the necessary hormones required to tell her to wake up that her bladder needs emptied.
Is it possible that the nights she does have an accident she is just in such a deep sleep she doesn't wake?
The ERIC website is a good place to start or I would speak to the continence team for a bit of advice or reassurance, your GP should be able to refer you.
My middle child still wears a pull up to bed and she is 5, until my oldest was 6 he still had spells where he would go through wetting the bed, and he'd been out of nappies and getting up to use the toilet since he was just turned 3, but he's 8 now and hasn't done it in a good long time.

It's more common than people let on, my nephew also wore pull ups until he was about 8 and he was wet every night, the alarm worked for him but as I say he was every night wet.

My generally typically developing DD went on wetting the bed until 12 or 13. So did a few others I know. It's not 'usual' but it does happen for a significant minority without there being any underlying serious problems.

The thing that helped DD most was time! So if your DD is gradually growing out of it then your instinct that she doesn't need medical intervention is probably sound.

However, useful things while she is growing out of it - waterproof sheets etc if you haven't already invested. Alarms can work well for some kids. DD hated them and it just made us all tired in addition to the wet bed There is a medication called desmopressin which suppresses urine production overnight and can either be used regularly or as a one off for sleepovers etc. you need a referral to the continence nurse for meds. Alarms can be loaned for free from the continence clinic but also bought privately (eg ERIC website).

Sleepovers and school trips should be possible for her. If it's an adult supervised school or hobby trip then talk to the leaders (with DDs permission). She won't be the first or last child they have met with the problem. DD used either to wear a pull up or to take desmopressin (or both). Sleepovers again talk to DD, but if she is happy then have a chat with the parent about her need to wear a pull up in case or to take desmo.

Good luck! It's not much fun but there is light at the end of the tunnel sooner or later.

I would buy an alarm mat - it's the only thing that worked for my son. You can get them through the ERIC site